Ghost
by TheGirlNamedTakara
Summary: "They were not alone. Unbeknownst to the group, two pairs of pale red eyes watched them from the trees, calm and calculating." "Nobody notices the ghosts in the trees until it's far too late." (Daryl/OC)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to "Ghost"! Just so you know, it's been a LONG time since I attempted a fanfiction, but I have high hopes for this one. Hope you like!

Disclaimer: AMC owns everything but the characters I've introduced to the story.

* * *

It was hot.

That was for damn sure. The group of people stumbling down the road knew it all too well. The relentless sun was sapping their strength just as it sapped the water from the earth. They were weakened, and wound far too tight. A few seemed defeated, others determined, some angry, and some empty. They were hardly in any state to stand, let alone fight off a group of enemies – dead or alive – who might try to take advantage of them.

And indeed, they were not alone. Unbeknownst to the group, two pairs of pale red eyes watched them from the trees, calm and calculating. Two pairs of ears listened to their hoarse murmurs to one another. Two minds analyzed the people before them, and two bodies quietly jumped from branch to branch, easily keeping up with their sluggish pace.

The young Asian man, one of the determined ones, mumbled something and held out a bottle half-full of water to a rough-looking guy in a leather vest. He shifted the crossbow on his shoulder and shook his head.

He replied back with something that sounded like a refusal. His voice was deep, with a roughness to it that fit him well. The other man spoke more insistently. The one with the crossbow gave him a dirty look and what sounded like a short warning. He was the stubborn type, they decided, but also the selfless type. The Asian man fell in step beside him.

"Hey…" They were closer now, and their words were more clear. He stared, unblinkingly, at the man in the vest. "We can make it together." His voice was soft and pleading. Then he paused. "…But we can only make it together." Those words struck a bit of a cord with the figures in the trees. Glancing away, almost in defeat, the young Asian walked past him. One pair of eyes lingered on the man in the vest as he slowed his pace, his empty expression faltering slightly.

A well-built ginger-haired man glanced at him briefly before the man in the vest growled, "Tell 'em I went lookin' for water." He didn't wait for the other man to respond before he broke off from the group, tromping through the forest like a man on a mission…but not, they thought, for water.

One pair of eyes glanced at the other, and the two nodded at each other. _Be careful,_ one mouthed as the other slipped through the trees after him. He was in no state to be off on his own. Easy pickings for someone with bad intentions…

* * *

The man in the vest paused when he reached a wide path cut through the woods. There was an old barn nestled in at the end of it, but he didn't move to approach it. Instead, he slid to the ground with his back against a tree. The figure up above him watched curiously as he dug around in his pockets and pulled out a lighter and a few cigarettes. He brought one to his lips and flicked on the lighter, then set it on the ground once the cancer stick was properly lit. The woman resisted the urge to cough as a wisp of smoke made its way into her nose. The man below her rested his arms on his knees and stared at the barn with empty eyes, puffing out smoke every so often.

There could have been a million things going through his mind right then, but the look in his eyes was undeniably the look of a man who had just lost something – or someone – important. Red eyes flashed in the sunlight streaming through trees, watching him fiddle with his cigarette for another moment or two before he slowly brought the burning end closer to his other hand. The body above him jerked in surprise when he pushed it into his own skin, the fire burning into his hand and leaving and angry mark before fizzling out. His expression was unchanging, even though it must have hurt. Fists clenched above him and nails dug into palms to stop any kind of movement that would give away her position. She didn't know him, but she couldn't help but empathize. Losing someone was hard, and everyone had different ways of dealing with it.

He calmly flicked the ashes off of his hand and dropped the cigarette butt to the ground. His hands shook as he turned his gaze to the sky, his narrow eyes brimming with tears. His breaths became short and heaving. The eyes in the trees looked away when he lowered his head and began to quietly sob. This moment was not meant to be seen by anyone else. This man was facing his grief, and the body above him felt ashamed for intruding, whether he knew he was being shadowed or not.

A twig snapped softly to the left. The man in the vest, still deep in his own emotions, failed to notice the dead one shambling towards him. The figure in the trees sucked in a deep, shaky breath. This was it. The moment was right. The small crossbow on her arm softly clicked as it was set in place. The dead one, unusually quiet for a walking corpse, got closer and closer. Red turned to yellow. An arrow was silently slipped onto the weapon, and one eye peered through the small scope. The man was in her sights. He didn't even notice her. They never did. _A little to the right…let's get this bastard right between the eyes._ She took another breath and slowly exhaled, her hands clenching around the release in sync with the air leaving her lungs. With a twang, the arrow flew from her arm and embedded itself cleanly between the man's eyes, the bastard's shaggy hair flying in every direction as his head was thrown back.

The figure in the trees smiled. Bullseye.

* * *

Daryl started violently at the unmistakable twang of a crossbow. The thump of a body hitting the ground sounded to his left, and he jumped to his feet at the sight of a dead walker with a small arrow through its head. He grabbed his own weapon and stormed over to it. It was hit right between the eyes. Almost perfectly. Whoever had just shot that thing knew what they were doing. Daryl's jaw clenched. If he hadn't been acting like such a pussy, he would have seen this fucker coming, maybe even the one who just shot it.

He ripped the crossbow bolt out of the walker's skull and quickly looked around. There was somebody out there with him…and it wasn't anybody from his group. "Who's there?!" he shouted. His body tensed and he readied his crossbow. Blue eyes scanned the forest floor ahead. Nothing. As he turned to study the woods on the other side of the path, he heard a rustling in the trees above him. Daryl whirled around just in time to see a flash of white retreat through the branches.

Without thinking, Daryl raised his crossbow and fired. There was a sharp cry, almost too soft for him to hear. The arrow had found flesh. He wouldn't be able to follow a trail of footsteps, but now there would be a trail of blood. Whoever it was wouldn't be able to get away so easily.

* * *

 _Shit. Shit._ _ **Shit!**_ The fleeing figure cursed in her mind. Her shoulder pulsed with pain every time she landed on another branch, but she didn't have the luxury of stopping to address the arrow sticking out of her body. The man who shot her was hot on her heels, and with the blood she was dripping all over the place, he had a trail to follow. _Gotta get back to Al…goddamn it._ Although it was painful, she doubled back and circled a couple times to throw her pursuer off. That would buy her enough time to find who she was looking for so they could get the hell out of there.

He was waiting for her near the spot she'd seen him last. He glanced over at her and stifled a gasp. _What the hell happened to you?!_ his pale red eyes seemed to ask. She just shook her head and motioned for them to get moving. He paused, then nodded and gestured for her to follow him. The two of them fled through the trees, the group on the road still totally oblivious.

* * *

"Do you mind telling me what happened now?"

Al's voice broke the silence as he tended to the wound on her shoulder. The worst part had been over quickly after he had removed the arrow – now he was busy cleaning and dressing it. The two of them had been silent through it all. She glanced back at him, then fixed her eyes on the ground in front of her. "He was grieving," she said softly. "There was a dead one. He didn't hear it. So I took care of it."

He took a deep breath. "And gave away your position in the process." She nodded. "So _he_ shot you?"

"I don't think it was entirely on purpose." Her face was carefully composed despite the pain in her shoulder. "He wasn't in the best frame of mind, and I startled him. It's not completely his fault."

"You saved him, and he shot you." He scoffed. "What a way to thank someone."

"Al." His eyes met hers. "They're good people. You know that."

He sighed. "Yeah. I know. That's why we're watching over them in the first place." He tapped her arm lightly to let her know he was done, and she turned to face him. "But we're not the only ones."

She tilted her head. "You're talking about the man who's been trailing them?"

He chuckled. "So you did notice him…of course you did. He left them water out on the road…a lot of it. I don't know if they took it." He paused. "He hasn't noticed us – none of them have, except the one who shot you. Not yet. We should hang back a bit for now, especially with your shoulder the way it is."

"I'll be fine," she said quietly.

"I know you will." He smiled and ruffled her hair. "But that man will show himself sooner or later. He didn't seem to be up to anything bad, but we should be ready for a fight in case he has buddies somewhere that are. They're weak right now. I don't think they could handle an ambush." She hummed in agreement. "And you know we won't be able to keep ourselves hidden from them forever. Once they get their strength back, their senses will be sharp again. We'll have to reveal ourselves eventually."

"I know," she murmured. "I'll be ready."

His smile softened. "Yeah. You always are." He glanced outside the windows of the car they were holed up in. "Get some rest. There's a storm coming, and you heal faster when your body doesn't have to fight to keep itself awake." She nodded slowly and carefully climbed in the back seat. "There's a good girl. Sleep tight, Del." She hummed again and closed her eyes. It didn't take long for her mind to drift into dreamland.

* * *

A crash of thunder startled her awake. She looked around wildly, heart hammering, then relaxed when she saw her partner grinning at her from the front seat.

"Good morning, sunshine. How's the shoulder?"

"Better already," she replied. It was the truth. She could feel the muscles in her should slowly but surely weaving themselves back together. She looked out the window at the torrential downpour. "You weren't kidding about that storm."

"No…" He frowned then, and went quiet.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. It's just…I have a bad feeling." She immediately grabbed her gear. "Whoa, whoa, what do you think you're doing?" he asked as she quickly put on her gauntlets and pistol belt.

"We both know what your 'feelings' mean. They're in trouble. Let's go."

"It's dark, and the weather is dangerous. Besides, we don't even know where they're holed up."

Images of the barn on the forest path flashed in her mind. "I do. And when has the dark ever deterred us?" She put her hand on the door handle. "Coming?"

He sighed. "Why do I even try…? There's no talking you out of something when you're like this." He strapped on his own weapons. "Alright, then. But don't come crying to me when you catch a cold."

She smiled, the two of them putting on their hoods. "You know me better than that." She didn't wait for his response before she slammed the door open, and the two of them ran through darkness.

His feeling was spot on, as usual. When they found the barn, it was being bombarded by a large group of dead ones, all growling and snapping as they fought to break down the doors. Rick's group was inside, that much was obvious…especially to the corpses.

Al nodded at her, and she nodded back. The two of them ran in opposite directions and quickly leaped into the trees, each of them pulling an air horn out of the small packs at their hips. The crashing thunder was loud, but the dead ones would be able to hear them. They both blasted their air horns as hard as they could.

In response, the group of corpses slowly turned from the barn and started shambling in their direction. Still blowing the horns, they jumped from tree to tree, farther away from each other, splitting the group in half. Then they cut the horns and pulled out their weapons, shooting the group and some stragglers they attracted from the safety of the trees.

By the time is was over with, and the forest was quiet again except for the raging storm, her shoulder was throbbing. She met up with her partner on the road, and they made a beeline for shelter. They threw themselves into the car, panting, hearts racing, small smiles gracing their lips. They did something good that day. Twice. She got shot and now both of them were soaked to the bone and freezing, but it had been a good day.

* * *

None of them were really sure when it happened, but the next thing they knew, the sun had slowly crept through the sky. It was morning. A few of them hadn't slept, Daryl included…but they were alive. Outside, the forest was calm and quiet. He still couldn't believe their luck. That horn (or was it two?) sounded at just the right time. The entire group had thrown their weight against those doors, but with them in the state they were, he hadn't been sure they could have held them at bay all night. He still didn't know what had caused the noise that drew them off, but he wasn't sure he really cared. Whatever it was, it saved them, and that was enough.

Rick felt differently, however. He paced the barn floor, bouncing Judith on his hip. "We need to find out what caused that noise last night." The group – minus Maggie and Sasha, who were out in the woods – turned to their leader when he spoke. "If there's anybody else in these woods, we need to know about it." The unknown archer from yesterday popped into his mind, and Daryl nodded slowly. The man had a point.

"Rain prolly washed away any trail they mighta left, but I'll see what I can find," he rasped, getting to his feet and slinging his crossbow over his shoulder. Rick nodded at him.

"Take Abraham with you."

Before either of them could head off, however, the doors to the barn slowly creaked open, and Maggie's voice floated through.

"Hey…everyone?" She slipped through, then opened the door a little wider. "This is Aaron."

The mention of a new name had everyone on their feet, weapons in hand. The stranger who trailed behind Maggie, with Sasha in the back, had a nervous air about him. Daryl immediately shoved his way past them and glanced briefly outside before shutting the doors and chaining them. "We met him outside," Maggie explained. "He's by himself. We took his weapons and we took his gear." Even so, Daryl roughly patted the stranger down to check for anything they might have missed.

The stranger had his hands held up in surrender. "…Hi," he said slowly. At the sound of his voice, Judith started wailing. Rick handed her off to Carl, eying Aaron all the while.

"It's nice to meet you." Aaron stepped forward, hand outstretched in greeting, but backed off again when the group cocked their guns.

Rick looked at Maggie. "…You said he had a weapon?" Maggie nodded, producing a small handgun from her pocket and handing it to Rick, who shoved it under the waistband of his jeans. He stared at Aaron coldly, one eyebrow raised. "There something you need?" he demanded.

Sasha answered for him. "He has a camp," she sighed. "Nearby. He wants us to _audition_ for membership." Her voice was thick with sarcasm.

Aaron cringed. "I…wish there was another word. 'Audition' makes it sound like we're some kind of dance troupe." His lips quirked into a smile. "That's only on Friday nights." His attempt at humor fell horribly flat. After a few moments of tense, awkward silence, he shook his head as if to say "nevermind". "Uh…and it's not a camp. It's a community." He looked around at each of them. "I think you all would make valuable additions…but it's not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me home." Daryl held back a scoff. He wasn't really helping his case, was he? As Rick continued to stare at him suspiciously, he let out a short laugh. "I know. If I were you, I wouldn't come either…not until I knew exactly what I was getting into. Sasha…can you hand Rick my pack?"

And that was the start of the strange man's obsessive rant over his "shining community". Somewhere down the line, Daryl was considering knocking him out just to get him to shut up, but Rick beat him to the punch…literally. As soon as the man was unconscious on the barn floor, their leader jumped into action, and the others, including Daryl, started peering through holes in the barn to try and see if Aaron really was alone, while a couple of them worked to tie Aaron up. "Anyone see anything?" Rick asked after everyone had a moment to search.

"Just a lot of places to hide," Glenn replied.

Rick looked at Daryl. "You think this guy's the one you saw in the trees? The one who shot that walker?"

Daryl glanced down at Aaron's crumpled form and shook his head. "Nah. Don't look like he can move through the trees like they did. And he ain't no archer."

Rick nodded slowly. "So there _are_ others out there. Or one person, at least."

"Maybe Aaron has nothing to do with them," Michonne suggested.

"Maybe he does," Rick countered. He raised his voice. "Alright, keep looking, everyone." Then he turned to Carl, who had just finished rummaging through Aaron's bag. "What'd you find?"

Carl set a few things down on an old wooden table, then handed his father a small, bright orange gun. "I've never seen a gun like that before," he mused. Daryl's eyes narrowed. That was a flare gun. Probably to signal his buddies when he had them where he wanted them.

A groan rumbled out of the man in question. He was waking up. After a few moments, his eyes fluttered open. Aaron took another moment or two to determine his situation, then he gave a low chuckle. "That's one hell of a right cross there, Rick."

"Sit him up," Rick growled. Maggie began to protest. "He's fine," Rick scoffed. "Sit him up."

"You're being cautious," Aaron began, "I completely understand th—"

"How many of your people are out there?" Rick hissed. Aaron blinked, staring dumbly up at him. The question clearly threw him off. "You have a flare gun." He practically shoved the orange gun in Aaron's face. "You have it to signal your people. How many of them are there?"

Daryl could see Aaron's jaw clench and unclench. "…Does it matter?" he said slowly.

" _Yes_. Yes it does."

"I mean, of course…" Aaron chuckled bitterly. "It matters how many people are _actually_ out there, but does it matter how many people I _tell_ you are out there?" He smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. "Because I'm pretty sure no matter what number I say – eight…thiry-two…four hundred and forty-four…zero...no matter what I say, you're not going to trust me."

Rick smirked, but there was no amusement behind it. "Well, it's hard to trust anyone who smiles after getting punched in the face."

"How about a guy who leaves bottles of water for you in the road?" Aaron snapped.

The group fell silent. Several of them glanced at the bottles still sitting on one of the tables. Aaron hadn't _just_ found them. He'd been on their trail before today. Daryl stormed up to him. "How long you people been followin' us?!" he growled.

Aaron shrugged. "Long enough to see that you practically ignore a pack of roamers on your trail. Long enough to see that, despite a lack of food and water, you never turned on each other. You're _survivors_ ," he said. "And you're _people_. Like I said – and I hope you won't punch me for saying it again – that is the most important resource in the _world_."

Silence fell over them. No one really knew what to think about this stranger. Daryl could see that some of them wanted to believe him, but trust wasn't easy to earn these days. Slowly, each one of them turned to Rick. When in doubt, look to the leader.

Rick took a few steps towards Aaron. The air around him was menacing. "How. Many Others. Are. Out. There?" he ground out.

Aaron sighed. "…One," he said reluctantly.

Rick's eyes narrowed. "An archer?"

Aaron frowned. "What? An archer…? No. Nobody in our community has ever used a bow of any kind, at least not that I know of…"

Rick scoffed and shook his head. Daryl knew what he was thinking. Either he was lying, or someone other than Aaron and his group had been watching them.

* * *

"Well, well." Al chuckled in the tree next to her. "The man showed himself faster than I expected him to. He's got balls, I'll give him that."

His partner was staring at the barn with curious eyes. They were all in there right now, interrogating the stranger, and the two of them had to watch from a distance. His appearance only succeeded in putting the group on high alert. She felt a bit annoyed that she could hear what they were saying. The last thing she heard the stranger say was something about a community, somewhere safe with metal walls, food, and medicine. She touched her injured shoulder absentmindedly. It still stung, but it wasn't infected. It would heal nicely.

"You know where he's from, don't you?" her partner asked.

She nodded. "Alexandria."

He smiled. "Yeah. I thought he seemed a bit familiar. I think I saw him once or twice when I scoped out the place." He scratched his jaw. "Do you think the group will accept his offer?"

She paused. The two of them had been watching the group for a little while. She didn't know them, not personally, but she had a good grasp on the way the group thought, as a whole. "Not easily," she mumbled. "It'll take a while for Rick to start considering it, but he _will_ consider it, if some of the others see any truth in Aaron's pitch."

"I hope so. They've been out here too long. It would do them good to be behind sturdy walls for a change."

She glanced over at him. "…And what about us?" she asked softly.

He blinked at her. "What _about_ us?"

"If they join Alexandria, they'll be able to build lives there. You've seen it. The place is practically untouched." She twiddled her thumbs in her lap. "We won't need to watch over them from the trees anymore. And after all this, all we've been through…after all the people we've saved since this began, don't you think we deserve a home too?"

His pale red eyes widened in surprise. "Del…I didn't know you felt that way."

She bit her lip. "Because I never told you."

"So, what you're saying is…if Rick and the others go to Alexandria, you want to follow suit?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. Al, don't tell me you've never thought about joining a group before."

"I have," he agreed, "When we came across Rick and the others. I thought about us showing ourselves and joining their family quite a few times. They probably would have welcomed us eventually." He patted her head. "But as long as you were satisfied with it just being the two of us, so was I."

She lowered her gaze. "They're good people…that much is obvious. This world has hardened them, made them suspicious of anyone who isn't their own, but they're still good. Next time we help them…I don't want it to be from the shadows."

He smiled gently. "I'd like that." He pulled her into a hug. "If that's what you want, then so shall it be." Pulling back, he nodded in the direction of the barn. "For now, we wait. They'll reach a decision soon enough, I think."

She hummed in acknowledgement. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, her legs swinging from her seat on the branch. "I'm tired of hiding, Al," she whispered, her red eyes trained on the ground. "That's all we've ever done, even before the world went to hell. I want to be in the light for once."

Al observed the woman beside him with gentle eyes. Her eyes gave no hints to how she was feeling, but he knew she was weary. The two of them had spent their whole lives in the shadows. He knew how she felt. "…Me too, Del," he mumbled. "Me too."

* * *

A/N: It's me again! How'd you like the first chapter? Drop me a review and let me know! Try not to be too harsh, though…like I said, it's been years since my fanfiction days, and I know I'm a little rusty.

A/N: And in case you were concerned, I was vague about the group's "guardian angels" on purpose. I'm trying to create an air of mystery, ya feel? But who knows, maybe in the next chapter you'll actually learn their full names! …Haha, you didn't think "Al" and "Del" were actually their names, did you? Nope, not quite~ Anyway, let me know what you thought so I know whether or not I should continue! Oh, and yes, despite the introduction of two characters, this story will only revolve around one of them.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys, welcome back to "Ghost"! Before we begin, I'd like to thank the five wonderful humans who have already reviewed this story.

Guest: Thank you so much for your kind words! I wish I could thank you by name, but alas… I'm happy to hear that my decision to be vague about the new characters in the beginning was a good one! I can't wait for Daryl and Del to start interacting face-to-face. Thanks for the encouragement!

Miss October 13: Thank you! Here's the next one, I hope you enjoy it!

Gilyflower: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

GawkyTC: Thank you so much!

Kyokkou: I'm happy to hear that you're anxious for more! That means I've succeeded in reeling you in ;) You'll have to read this chapter and see for yourself whether you were right or wrong!

Disclaimer: AMC owns everything except for Al and Del, and any other characters I might decide to drag into this.

* * *

"They've been in there for hours…"

Al looked over at his partner when she quietly spoke. It was true. They hadn't seen hide nor hair of anyone in the barn since the man from Alexandria revealed himself. He could tell she was beginning to grow anxious. "Be patient, Del," he murmured. "If they've been in there this long, then they must be talking things over. Which means you were right," he added. "Rick _is_ considering Aaron's offer."

Del hummed in response. She was always quiet, but she had been quieter than usual since Aaron had been taken into custody. It was understandable. The decision of Rick and his group would affect the two of them, as well. "It would be foolish of Rick to say no," Al continued. "Understandable, but foolish. It _is_ possible to be out in this world for too long." Del nodded her agreement.

"I want to get closer," she mumbled. "We can't hear anything they're saying from all the way over here."

He almost laughed out loud at her anxiousness. It was rare to see her in any state other than calm. "I know," he replied, "But you know why we have to stay back. If they see us, they'll think Aaron really is planning an ambush…and we both know how that will turn out." She didn't respond. He patted her arm reassuringly, mindful of her injured shoulder. "Everything will turn out the way it's supposed to. Don't worry so much."

Just as those words left his mouth, the barn doors creaked open. The two of them jolted to attention when Rick sauntered over and kneeled next to one of the vehicles they had out front, with Michonne hot on his heels. Al and Del were close enough to be able to hear what they were saying.

"I'm thinkin' you, me, and Glenn drive with that guy," Rick said. He gestured to the RV. "Carl and Judith are safer in there." There was a pause. Del could feel her heart rate quicken. Did that mean they had accepted the offer? Rick glanced up at Michonne when she didn't respond. "…You okay?"

"When you said that we were going," Michonne said slowly, "Was that for real? Or are you just trying to get this guy to tell us where his camp is?" Del leaned forward slightly.

Rick paused, then rose to his feet. "We're goin'," he told her.

"Whatever it takes to get there," Michonne stated. "Just as long as we _get there_."

Rick shifted. "…When you first came up on the walls outside Woodbury," he began, "what did you hear?"

"Nothing," she answered softly.

"And Terminus?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Rick nodded slowly. "Sometime tonight…we'll be outside his camp's walls. And without seeing inside, I'm gonna have to decide whether to bring my _family_ in." The two on the trees listened intently. "He asked me before what it would take for me to believe it was real." His jaw clenched and unclenched. "Truth is…I'm not sure if anything could convince me to go in there. But I'm gonna see." He took a deep breath. "…I'm gonna see."

Al and Del glanced at each other. The group was going, then, but they were waiting for nightfall. When Rick and Michonne walked back into the barn, Al said, "We've got a long day ahead of us. Wanna go back to the car? You need to rest that shoulder."

"I'm fine," she replied. "I heal quickly. We both do."

"Doesn't matter how quickly you heal if you keep reopening the wound." He patted her pale-skinned hand. "Come on. We know when they're leaving and where they're going. We can leave ahead of time and get to Alexandria before they do."

Del frowned. "We're not going to follow them? They won't follow the road Aaron tells them to, the one that's been cleared. What if they run into a herd and need our help?"

"They'll be in vehicles, Del. I know you don't want to let them out of your sight, but it won't be easy to keep up with them when they're not on foot. Besides," he added, "There's only two of us. If they do run into a herd, we'll be overrun. And we're no use to them if we're dead."

Del bit the inside of her cheek and scowled at her lap. "…Yeah," she said reluctantly. "You're right."

Al smiled and carefully put his arm around her. "You're starting to truly care for those people," he chuckled, "Aren't you?"

"Aren't _you_?" she countered.

"Well…yeah. It's hard not to." He rubbed the back of his neck. "The world is ending. The dead are walking, human beings are killing and even _eating_ each other…and then there are these people." He gestured to the barn. "This group of people that never would have looked twice at each other before all this. They're not blood, but this world has made them family. They love each other unconditionally, they protect each other, they sacrifice for each other…" Al paused. "…It's beautiful."

Del rested her head on his chest. "Yes," she agreed. "It is."

* * *

Night came a bit quicker than Daryl would have liked…but at the same time, not quick enough. The closer it got to nightfall, the more anxious the entire group seemed to get. Before they knew it, the stars were out, and everybody was in a vehicle – Rick, Glenn, Michonne, and Aaron in the car, everybody else in the RV. As per Rick's plan, the two vehicles made their way up 23 North, avoiding the road Aaron told them was cleared.

Daryl gripped his crossbow tightly. He had a bad feeling. Not just about their route – the whole thing, their plan to go to this so-called "safe zone", it made him nervous. Hell, it made them all nervous, no matter how much any of them might have denied it. They had trusted the wrong people before, and paid for it. Daryl prayed to a god he didn't even believe in that they weren't doing the same thing here. Rick tried to get Aaron to fess up about the archer Daryl nicked in the trees, but he wouldn't talk. Or couldn't. It was driving him crazy, thinking they were still out there somewhere. Maybe even watching them right now, following them. Sure, the archer hadn't shot him – they might have even saved him by taking down that walker. But nobody just saves a stranger out of the kindness of their hearts anymore. …Did they?

"… _Shit_." Abraham's voice brought Daryl out of his thoughts. He walked up to the front of the RV and squinted through the windshield at the road ahead of them.

Damn place was _crawling_ with walkers.

"Shit", indeed.

"Turn this rust bucket around," Daryl told Abraham. When nobody moved, he growled, "Now!"

"What about Glenn and the others?" Maggie asked from the back. "Do you see them?"

He could still see their tail lights ahead. They were plowing through the herd, probably carving them a path. "Yeah, I see 'em," he grumbled. "They're tryin' to clear the way for us."

"This old RV won't make it through that," Abraham sighed. "Only thing we can do is turn around and hope they don't get themselves stuck." He put the vehicle in reverse and got them going back the way they came.

"Maybe we should've listened to Aaron," Sasha mumbled. "He said they had a route already cleared."

"A route that may very well be set up for an ambush," Abraham huffed. "Rick was being cautious when he came up with this plan."

"And now he might end up dead because of that plan," Sasha snapped. Damn. Was it just Daryl or was she turning into a raging bitch? He understood that she lost her lover _and_ her brother, but if she kept on the way she was, she was gonna get herself killed.

"Hey." They all glanced at Carl, who was looking at them with an incredulous look while holding his baby sister. "That's my dad you're talking about," he said, "And Glenn, and Michonne. They'll be fine. We've all gotten through worse." He bounced Judith gently on his knee. "We just gotta rethink things now. Find somewhere we can meet up with them. That's all." Daryl stared at the teenage boy for a moment. The kid had come a long way from the sniveling brat he used to be. Almost brought a smile to Daryl's face to see how strong he was now. Hopefully that baby in his lap would grow up the same way.

Without warning, a flare lit up the sky behind them. "I'll be damned," Abraham chuckled. "Betcha that's them."

"You know where it came from?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, I saw. Don't worry. Gotta take a little detour, but I'll get us there." Abraham grinned. "Time to get this show on the road."

* * *

It was late into the night when Al and Del approached the metal walls of Alexandria. Del closed her jacket up a bit farther to shield her exposed midriff from the cool night breeze. "Now what?" she whispered. Al glanced around, then pointed at an old, crumbling wooden house across the street.

"There," he replied quietly. "We'll hide out in that house until Rick and his group arrive." He moved to approach the road, but Del grabbed his arm.

"And when they do arrive? Then what?" she asked him in a hushed tone. "We never discussed _how_ we're going to gain admittance to Alexandria. They won't let us just walk through the gates."

Al nodded slowly. "I know. …Come on," he said after a pause. "Let's get set up over there and then we'll think on it. We've got some time yet before Rick and the others are due to arrive." He took her by the hand and, after looking up at the walls to make sure no one was on watch, the two of them sprinted across the road, keeping low and quiet just in case.

* * *

The sun was rising, and Rick's group was still nowhere to be seen. "Where are they?" Del whispered anxiously. "Their plan was to arrive under the cover of darkness. So why aren't they here?" She got to her feet and started pacing.

Al sighed. "Del, stop pacing. You're going to wear a hole into the floor." He patted the ground beside him. "Sit. They'll be here any minute. You worrying your head off about it won't make them go any faster."

Del ground her teeth, her brow furrowing, but she did as she was told. Plopping down angrily beside Al, she muttered, "Something went wrong. I knew it would. We should have followed them, made sure they were alright. What if they really _did_ run into a herd?"

"Del, look at me." Al grabbed her hands. Del fell silent and glanced up at him. "They're _fine_ ," he insisted. "Do you understand? _Stop worrying_."

Del closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _Push it down,_ she told herself. _Everything that you're feeling. Just push it down…_ And just like that, she was calm again. "You good?" Al asked. Del opened her eyes and nodded, her face relaxing into a blank expression. "Good," he said, "Because here they come."

Just as he said that, the unmistakable sounds of vehicle engines reached her ears. She jumped to her feet. Peering through the gaping holes in the house's walls, she spotted the group coming down the road. Quietly, Al and Del slipped out the back of the house and into the trees surrounding it – the place they both felt the least exposed.

The vehicles stood still for a few long, tense moments. Her heart was beating so hard she was almost afraid they would hear it. Del could see Rick staring intently at Alexandria's gates through narrowed eyes, not really watching for anything, she reckoned – but listening. She did too. She wanted to hear what he was hearing as he sat there in his car, deciding the fate of his ragtag family. She closed her eyes and listened. In Woodbury, Michonne had heard nothing. In Terminus, nothing. What would they hear in Alexandria?

Del heard the sound of children laughing.

She couldn't stop the smile that graced her lips. Michonne covered Rick's hand in hers and spoke to him softly. After a moment, he nodded. Just as the others got out of the RV, Rick put his car in park and shut off the engine. He opened the back door and gathered his daughter in his arms, and Del was pleased to see a smile on his face. The first one in a long time, she was sure. Carol strode up to him, a rifle in her hand, and said, "Even though you were wrong…you were still right."

The gate to Alexandria slowly creaked open as the group approached. Aaron and his partner took the lead, the latter of which was sporting a nasty-looking ankle injury. That might explain the group's delay. Suddenly, Rick's son glanced over his shoulder in their general direction, and Al and Del both froze. He didn't see them, but they could tell by the look on his face that he felt like something was off. Del stared at him. He was a smart kid. Smarter than either of them had given him credit for. After a couple seconds, he turned back around, and Al and Del both let themselves relax.

That was short-lived, however, when a metal garbage bin crashed to the ground and made all of them jump. The man with the crossbow – Daryl, she remembered his name was – instinctively shot at whatever had crashed into the trash can. Del heard the thunk of an arrow meeting flesh, and almost chuckled when Daryl lifted the perpetrator into the air – a possum. He turned, his catch still in hand, as an Alexandrite stepped out to greet them. "We brought dinner," Daryl told him. Del bit her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud.

The Alexandrite, however, did not seem amused. He looked tense, actually, and more than a little scared. He jumped a bit when Aaron patted his shoulder. "It's alright," he said. Then he looked at Rick and the others and called, "Come on in, guys."

The group started to move forward. "Al," she hissed. "Are we doing this or aren't we?" He paused, then gave a short nod. Snapping off a small section of a tree branch, he turned Del around a bit and shoved one end into the hole in her shoulder. Del covered her mouth with her hand but couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her. _Fuck, that hurts!_ She could feel the hot blood oozing down her back.

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry," Al whispered. He looked like he was about to cry. Del just gave him a pained smile and grabbed his hand.

The two of them jumped down from the trees together.

* * *

Daryl couldn't believe his fucking eyes when they reached their destination. There were those walls Aaron spoke so highly of, just as they had looked in the pictures. A sign near the gate dubbed the place the "Alexandria Safe Zone". He bit the inside of his cheek. The walls looked study enough, but he couldn't help but wonder just how safe this "Safe Zone" was. Where were the lookouts on the walls? Hell, they should at least put somebody in that clock tower across the way.

He got a bit of a kick out of the look on the face of the guy who opened the gate for them when he killed that possum. He could already tell this guy was a pussy. Aaron waved them onward, and the group cautiously stepped towards the gate –

There was a noise, like somebody falling out of a tree, and an unfamiliar voice spoke up close behind them.

"Do you think you've got room in that place for two more?"

The entire group spun on their heels, weapons raised at the stranger who snuck up on them – or, rather, _strangers_. There were two of them, and when Daryl had them in his sights, he had to do a double-take at the man and woman before him.

The first thing that caught his eye was the hair. Both of them had hair almost the color of snow. He never would have guessed that the color was natural until he noticed that their eyebrows and eyelashes were the same color, almost like the hair on their faces had frosted over. His hair was cut short with a little extra on top, while her hair reached the middle of her back with bangs that framed her face. The ends of their hair flipped outward, almost as though they were spiked. Next he noticed their skin. Palest skin he had ever seen, almost _translucent_. Made him wonder if they'd ever spent more than a few minutes out in the sun. There was blood oozing slowly from the woman's shoulder, the deep red a stark contrast against her pale-skinned hand. His eyes wandered over them. The man was wearing a pair of old blue jeans, some hiking boots, and a sleeveless button-up shirt that was completely unbuttoned, exposing a torso that clearly knew what exercise felt like. The girl was wearing a pair of black jeans and old women's work boots, with an open jacket that exposed not only a well-toned stomach, but also a black chest binder, which was the only thing covering her chest. Daryl couldn't stop his eyes from lingering a bit before moving back up. The girl also wore a scarf that covered the top of her chest up to her collarbone – an odd thing to wear in the summer heat. Both of them wore gloves, but they looked more like gauntlets. They were thick and clunky, and if he looked close enough he could almost swear he saw buttons and triggers on them.

Then he felt one of them staring at him, and his eyes wandered further upward. He saw her lips first, plump and slightly parted, then her cute button nose…then his eyes met hers.

And all of a sudden, he felt rooted to the spot.

Daryl had never seen eyes like hers in all his years on this Earth. They were a pale shade of red, almost light enough to be considered pink. Framed with those frosty lashes and illuminated from the glow of the morning sun, those eyes held him in place, staring him down with an intensity he had never been on the receiving end of before. She just looked at him, unblinking, expressionless.

He felt like he was looking at a ghost.

Daryl felt a shiver run down his spine. He didn't like it, the way she just…stared. It made him uncomfortable. Like she could see straight through him.

"And who the hell are you?" Rick's voice brought him back to his senses, and he tightened his grip on his crossbow, aiming it straight for the girl's head.

The man beside her raised one hand in surrender. The other, he realized, was held tightly by the woman by his side. Almost like he was her lifeline. "Easy there, cowboy." The man's voice sounded too damn cheerful for the situation he was in. "I'm Alpha, and this is my sister Delta."

Daryl couldn't help himself. "The hell kinda names are those?"

"Alpha" flashed him a sarcastic grin. "Our parents were very…military-oriented." He tilted his head at Rick and the others, who all stared at the two strangers warily. "What's the matter, folks? You act like you've never seen an albino before." Then he waved his hand dismissively, not giving any of them time to respond. "But I digress. We're not here to exchange pleasantries with you fine folks, we're here to see the Alexandrites. Aaron, was it?" Aaron stepped in front of his lover Eric protectively, looking at the strangers through narrowed eyes.

"Yes…that's me. What can I do for you?"

He gave his sister a pat on the arm, and she turned her body so that the others could clearly see the bleeding wound on her shoulder. "My baby sister got hit with an arrow after saving some stranger's sorry ass…" Daryl didn't miss the pointed look Alpha gave him. "…and we're out of medical supplies. Can you help her? We won't cause any trouble, I just don't want it to become infected and – "

"Hold on just a goddamn minute," Daryl interrupted. He took a menacing step forward, but neither of them so much as twitched. " _You_." He practically shoved his crossbow in the woman's face. " _You're_ the one who was skulkin' around in the trees?!"

Alpha grinned. "Does that surprise you?"

"Not talkin' to you," Daryl snapped. He glared at the woman. "You been followin' me or what?!" He was just about sick of people sneaking around after them. Delta continued to stare at him with a blank expression, but he noticed she stepped a little closer to her brother. "Well?!" He raised his crossbow. "You deaf or somethin'? I asked you a question, girl."

Al put his arm protectively around his sister. "Don't mind my sister," he said. "She's just shy." His tone was cheerful, but his red eyes flashed with something dangerous when Daryl got closer.

"What's the matter with 'er?" he scoffed. "Girl can't speak for herself? Gotta have her big brother do all the talkin'?"

Delta shifted in place, her eyes finally leaving his and drifting to the ground. "…I didn't mean to make you angry," she said. Her voice was soft and gentle, almost timid, and Daryl felt himself deflate a little. Damn women and their puppy eyes. "You split off from your group. You were by yourself. I…" She chewed on her bottom lip. "I just followed you to make sure nothing happened to you. I'm sorry if I upset you further, but I don't regret shooting the dead one." Her eyes met his again, almost defiantly, and he took an unconscious step back.

"You're lucky she was there," Alpha huffed. "You wouldn't have seen that thing coming till it was too late, not with the state you were in. She saved your life, and how do you thank her?" He gestured angrily to the wound on her shoulder. "You fucking _shoot_ her."

Daryl fell silent. He clenched his jaw to keep himself from saying anything he might regret. That woman was there, in the woods with him. He thought he was alone. Which means she saw… He flexed his left hand, where the cigarette burn still throbbed. "You had no business bein' there," he growled at her.

Delta's gaze was unwavering, but he noticed her eyes soften. "No," she agreed. "I didn't." They stared each other down for a few moments, and Daryl didn't know what to do. Should he get angry? Embarrassed? Should he thank her? Say he was sorry? The wound on her shoulder was still slowly bleeding through her pale, slender fingers, but her expression gave no indication that she felt pain. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, however, she let go of her brother's hand for a moment to dig around in one of the larger packs strapped to her belt. She produced an arrow, one of his, still covered in her blood. "Here." She tossed it to him. "This is yours." He narrowed his eyes at her as his hand shot out to catch it, wordlessly asking her why. She shrugged. "One less arrow you'll have to make later."

Slowly, he lowered his crossbow. Daryl didn't know what the hell to make of these two. Alpha definitely rubbed him to wrong way, with his charming smile and flippant attitude, like everything was one big joke that only he could understand. The girl, though, she just threw him off. She was quiet, that was for sure, and her piercing eyes and blank expression made him uneasy. Every word she spoke sounded sincere, but you couldn't just take anybody at their word these days. Inhaling sharply through his nose, Daryl dug around in his pocket and pulled out the small arrow he'd pulled from the walker's head and tossed it at her. She caught it effortlessly.

"Um…" Aaron's voice almost made him jump. "Sorry, I'm a little confused. You said you wanted passage into Alexandria?" He frowned. "I'm sure you're nice people, but we can't just let anybody in here. I'm sure you understand…"

Alpha chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about all that. Go find Deanna, she knows me. Tell her that Alpha's come back to discuss her offer." Everyone looked at Alpha in shock, even his sister.

"You've met with their leader?" Rick and Delta asked in unison.

"Al, how could you keep something like that from me?" Delta hissed. Alpha gave her a guilty smile.

"Sis, we'll talk about this later, okay?" He tilted his head at Aaron. "I don't see anybody moving…you gonna let my sister bleed to death on your doorstep?" Aaron blinked rapidly, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts.

"Nicholas?" He nodded at the Alexandrite standing guard at the gate. "Can you go get Deanna? As fast as you can." Nicholas paused for a moment, then nodded quickly and ran off.

Daryl turned his attention back to the strange siblings in front of them, only to find Delta staring at him again. "You gotta problem, girl?" he growled. She just tilted her head. Daryl narrowed his eyes. She was a woman of few words, that was for damn sure.

* * *

Delta couldn't keep her eyes off of the man with the crossbow. She had never been face-to-face with any of those people before, and this was her first time getting a good look at them. The others, she had already committed their faces to her memory, but Daryl…her eyes continued to be drawn to him for some reason. And he could feel her gaze, too, judging by the way his eyes always found hers.

He had a wild look about him. His shaggy brown hair spilled over his eyes, his expression wary and almost angry. His large hands gripped his crossbow tightly, and Delta took a moment to appreciate his bulging biceps and broad shoulders. His arms and face were covered in dirt and sweat, but that didn't make him any less attractive – in fact, it did the opposite. She felt her cheeks heat up and quickly returned her gaze to his face.

His eyes were so intense, and so blue. She'd never seen anything like them. It was like he was some kind of wild animal sizing her up, determining whether she was friend or foe, predator or prey. She felt a shiver go down her spine. They stared at each other, neither of them saying a word.

Delta almost jumped out of her skin when her brother nudged her side. "Staring is impolite, Del," he told her with a strained smile that clearly said, "What are you doing?" Her face suddenly felt very hot, and she looked down at her feet. She felt a bit embarrassed, but her expression remained empty.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Nicholas, the nervous Alexandrite who'd opened the gate, jogged up to them, an older woman walking leisurely behind him. She had an air of authority about her, her head slightly raised in confidence. She was clearly in some sort of leadership position. Delta guessed that this was Deanna, the leader of Alexandria.

She glanced at Rick's group, all of whom had been silent and calculating since Alpha and Delta showed up, other than Daryl. Deanna gave Rick a nod of acknowledgement. "You must be Rick. I welcome you and your people to Alexandria." Rick just stared at her and didn't respond. Unfazed, she made her way through the group towards Al and Del.

She smiled warmly at Delta's brother. "Well, well." Deanna strode up to him and held out her hand. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon."

Alpha flashed her a charming smile and shook her hand. "Deanna. It's nice to see that you're doing well." He put his arm around Delta, mindful of her injury. "This is Delta, my little sister."

Deanna turned her calculating gaze to Delta. "Alpha spoke very highly of you," she told her kindly. "It's good to finally meet you."

"…Yes," Delta said slowly, eyeing the woman through slightly narrowed eyes. "Nice to meet you." Then Deanna caught sight of the blood on her shoulder, and let out a small gasp.

"God. Are you alright?"

"It's an arrow wound," Alpha explained. "I was hoping your surgeon could take a look at her."

Deanna put her hand on his shoulder. "Of course," she said. "Please, come in." She turned to Rick and his group, who were all staring at them with shock and a little suspicion. "All of you. Pete will check you over, make sure there are no serious injuries." She nodded at Aaron. "He'll take care of Eric and Delta first. Quickly now, let's go so we can get this gate shut." On that note, she sauntered back through the gate, everyone slowly turning and following suit. Alpha took her hand again and started leading her into Alexandria – their new home, if all went well.

Rick fell in step beside them. "We need to talk," he said. His tone held no small amount of warning. "After the doctor sees you…don't wander off." Then, he caught up with his people, leaving Alpha and Delta in the back of the group.

"Things are starting to get interesting," Alpha chuckled. Delta ignored him, still a little put off that he didn't tell her that he'd already met with Alexandria's leader.

Her eyes found Daryl again. His back was to her, showing off the tattered angel wings on the back of his vest. For some reason, she couldn't help but think that those wings suited him well.

Then she looked past him, the image of his piercing blue eyes still burning in the back of her mind.

* * *

A/N: We finally learned a thing or two about Al and Del! I know some of you were expecting them to be vampires or something, but nope, they're both albino. Of course, they're far from your average joes, but I'll elaborate more on that in later chapters. I'd also like to apologize in advance – work has me on a very irregular schedule, I just got a puppy, _and_ I'll be starting school soon, so if I don't update for a while, don't worry. I haven't abandoned the story, I just get really busy sometimes and don't have time to sit down and write.

A/N: Thanks so much for the support I've already been given, and don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Wow! I am honestly shocked at the amount of responses I've gotten to this story in such a short amount of time. To everyone who's reviewed so far…thank you! I'm seriously so grateful. It makes me really happy when you guys actually share your theories on the origins of Al and Del. I won't say whether or not you're getting warm or cold, but keep the theories coming! It shows me that you're all actually invested in the story. ;)

Oh, and if you guys are interested, I made a drawing of Delta! i-have-a-daryl-addixon tumblr com/post/152078297766/what-i-do-instead-of-going-to-sleep-at-a

Just remove the spaces and add periods. You guys know the drill. ;)

Disclaimer: As always, AMC owns everything but Alpha, Delta, and any other character or plot point I bring into this.

* * *

"…Just for the record, I am _not_ comfortable with this."

Alpha sighed heavily. Delta had been complaining to him ever since Deanna told them she wanted to interview them separately. "Come on, Del. It makes sense to interview us separately. She's going to interview everyone in Rick's group by themselves!"

Delta folded her arms across her chest. "None of them are siblings."

Alpha raised a brow. "No, but they're just about as close as we are. Besides, part of the reason she wants to talk to us separately is _because_ we're siblings. You do see the logic in that, right?"

Delta scowled. Of course she saw the logic in it. Seeing each of them without the other gave Deanna a chance to get a feel for them as individuals, without the influence of the other sibling. She understood Deanna's reasoning, she wasn't stupid. But the thought of facing anything without her brother made Delta feel sick. Alpha was the people-person, not her. He was _designed_ to interact with others – she was just a fighter. Ask her to take down a walker, infiltrate an enemy base, she could do that no problem. Having a conversation with a stranger, without Alpha by her side? Now that…that was a whole other ballgame. "I hate being separated from you," she mumbled. "Especially in unknown territory. Surrounded by strangers. Even Rick's group would try to kill us if they thought we were a threat, and we _know_ they're good people."

"This isn't unknown territory," Alpha said gently. "And I've met some of these people. They won't stick a knife in my back the moment we're separated from each other."

"I don't know that," Delta snapped. "You scouted this place out on your own. You made contact with its people without telling me. I haven't had the chance to judge them myself."

Alpha winced. "…That's a fair point." He put his hand on her shoulder. "But Del, if you had any serious doubts about this place, you wouldn't have agreed to try and live here." He gave her a slightly frustrated look. "For God's sake, sis, you're a grown ass woman. It won't kill you to be away from me for more than five minutes." Delta recoiled slightly. She knew he was right. She was being a brat. Delta clenched her jaw. _Push it down…push it down._ She closed her eyes and repeated the phrase over and over, like a mantra. Slowly, she felt her fear and frustration fade.

"…Okay," she said flatly. Alpha gave her a look – the look he always gave her when she locked herself away like that. Filled with sadness, anger, and maybe even pity. Delta tried not to think about it.

Deanna emerged from the house they stood in front of. "Delta," she called. "I'd like to see you first. If that's alright?" Delta nodded slowly. Alpha gave her an encouraging pat on the back. The pain in her shoulder, which Pete had done a surprisingly good job stitching up, had been reduced to a dull throb. After giving her brother one last, anxious look, Delta followed Deanna into her house.

* * *

"Do you mind if I record this?"

Delta glanced over at Deanna in shock. "...Record? As in...on video?" she asked, unable to hide her surprise. She knew Alexandria had some pretty nice things, especially for a settlement in the apocalypse, but working cameras? She couldn't remember the last time she saw one.

Deanna smiled. "Yes. We like to be very transparent here in Alexandria. Do you mind?" Delta shook her head. "Good." She pressed a button on a video camera mounted on a stand behind her chair. Then Deanna sat down, while Delta stood awkwardly off to the side. Deanna chuckled at her nervousness and gestured to the seat across from her. "Please, sit. I don't bite." Wordlessly, Delta slid into the chair. She was wound a little too tight. "You seem nervous," Denna said gently.

Delta looked carefully at Deanna, her red eyes unwavering despite her anxiousness. Despite the kindness this woman was showing, she was still this community's leader. Showing weakness was not ideal. "...Alpha has always been the social one," Delta said slowly. "He has a way with words. I usually let him do the talking."

"I noticed that your brother has a certain… _charm_ about him." Deanna tilted her head, giving her a secretive smile. "But you're special in your own way too, aren't you? In a way that your brother isn't."

Delta clasped her hands together. Deanna was very observant. "...I'm the fighter," she said quietly. "If Alpha can't talk us out of a situation, I fight our way out. On that, he usually follows _my_ lead."

"Sounds like you two are pretty dependent on each other." Delta clenched her jaw tight and didn't respond. That was basically the same as saying yes, but she didn't want to confess to such a thing on video. Deanna, sensing that she wouldn't get a response out of the albino girl, changed the subject. "So…Delta. Any middle or last name?"

Delta stared at the older woman with blank eyes, taking all signs of anxiousness or fear and shoving them aside. "No." Her curt reply gave little room for argument.

Deanna blinked, a bit taken aback by the short response. "That's…a little unusual." She put her hands up when Delta narrowed her eyes. "Don't worry. I'm not going to pry." After a few beats, she started up the questioning again. "How long have you and your brother been…out there?" Deanna gestured outside with a slightly disdainful expression.

"Always," Delta replied shortly.

"Always?" Alexandria's leader seemed to have adapted quickly to Delta's clipped answers. "You mean since it all started? Neither of you have come across other groups?"

"If you've really talked to my brother before now, then you know that we have," the albino woman said monotonously. "Finding other survivors is our…job."

"Would you care to elaborate on that?"

Delta shifted uncomfortably in her chair. All these questions were making her nervous. What if she answered something wrong and got the two of them kicked out of Alexandria? "We…sought out other groups," she said slowly. "We would follow them for a while, discreetly, so we could make assessments of their characters. If we found them to be good, we would watch over them. Protect them, if our services were required."

"Like guardian angels." Deanna nodded thoughtfully. "And you never revealed yourselves to them?"

"Eventually, if we didn't think they would shoot us on sight." Delta looked around nervously. "You should…you should really ask Alpha these questions. He would be able to explain it to you better than I could."

"Fair enough. I just have one last question for you, Delta." Deanna leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "What was your _job_ before all this?"

Delta froze. That was the one question she had hoped Deanna would avoid. "I-I don't think that matters anymore," she mumbled, her soft voice wavering. "Do you?"

"Of course it matters." She tilted her head. "I used to be a congressperson. Ohio, 15th district. My husband, Reg, was an architect." She nodded towards the open window, which gave a clear view of Alexandria's wall. "That wall out there, the one that keeps us safe? My husband designed that. Without his prior knowledge of architecture, this community might not have survived this long." She stared at Delta intently. "So, yes. I believe it matters."

Delta swallowed hard, her pale red eyes focused on her lap. "I...worked for the government," she said quietly. "Infiltration. Espionage. You'll excuse me if I prefer not to go into specifics."

Another thoughtful nod and a borderline-smug smile. "I see...I thought it would be something like that." Delta hated the way Deanna pretended she knew everything. All nods of understanding and mutters of, _I see..._ , like she knew what Delta would say before she said it. Like she knew _Delta_. Like she knew _anything_. Her fists clenched in her lap. It made her blood boil. "Alright, Miss Delta, I believe those are all the questions I have for you today."

Delta frowned. "...That's it?"

"That's it."

"...Oh."

Deanna got to her feet, and Delta rose with her. "I believe you would be best suited to work with Aaron, scouting people for possible citizenship. As long as you and your brother plan on staying?"

Delta perked up. That sounded almost exactly like what she and Alpha had already done. Which meant she wouldn't be in a job that was very far out of her comfort zone. "Y-yes!" Delta replied, a little too quickly. "Yes, we want to stay." Deanna turned off the video camera.

"Good. Take a few days, get to know Alexandria and have some rest. Aaron will let you know when he's ready to take you scouting."

Delta suddenly felt like hugging Deanna, her earlier animosity all but forgotten. "Thank you!" she cried. "I won't disappoint. Neither of us will."

Deanna chuckled at her eagerness. "I know. Welcome to Alexandria, Delta." She shook Delta's hand, and after giving her a quick nod, Delta made a beeline for the front door.

* * *

"I thought you were gonna talk to those albino freaks after the doc was through with 'em."

Rick regarded Daryl with a curious eye when the gruff man stormed up to him. "Yeah, I was." He folded his arms across his chest. "Deanna got to 'em first. I told 'em not to wander far. If they're smart, they'll listen, and we'll have no trouble findin' 'em." He took a step towards Daryl. "You spoke to 'em before we came in. Any thoughts?"

Daryl chewed on the inside of his cheek. Yeah, he had thoughts. Questions, mostly. Thinking about the two strangers was driving him crazy. "I think we need ta find 'em," he muttered. "Have a little chat. Sounded like they been followin' us for a while."

Rick nodded. "Yeah, I know. I meant, do ya got any thoughts on _them_? Their _characters_."

Daryl frowned. "What're ya askin' me for? Carol's better at judgin' people. Ask her."

"Ooh, are we gossiping? I _love_ gossip." A man's voice startled the two of them. Whirling around, they found Alpha standing just a few feet away, a giant grin on his face. Daryl found himself instantly irritated.

"It ain't polite to eavesdrop," Rick drawled, his face hardening in the presence of a stranger.

"Nor is it polite to talk about people behind their backs." Alpha's smile twisted into a smirk. "Well? Go on, then, Daryl. Tell Rick what you think about my sister and I." Daryl's eyes narrowed, his mouth tightening into a thin line.

"I think you need ta keep that attitude-a yers in check," Daryl hissed. "Yer not doin' you or yer sister any favors by actin' like an arrogant prick."

"So you're suggesting I act all buddy-buddy with the redneck who tried to kill my baby sister?" Alpha's smirk turned scathing. "But that would be so _dishonest_ , wouldn't it?"

Daryl took a menacing step forward. "Listen here, pretty boy-"

"Al?" A soft, melodious voice made Daryl freeze. He didn't even have to look over to know that the voice came from that albino girl, Delta. She came up behind her brother, looking between the three men with a curious frown. Daryl clenched his jaw shut tight and stepped back. "Al…" She repeated her brother's name. "What's going on?"

Alpha's scornful grin immediately softened at the sight of his sister. "Nothing, Del," he told her gently, patting her affectionately on the head. "Just saying hello to these fine gentlemen, that's all." His change in demeanor did not go unnoticed by the other two men. He was a completely different person when his precious sister was around. It attested to how deep their bond was, if anything.

"Oh…" Delta glanced over at Rick and Daryl. The latter felt himself tense up under her gaze once again, her eyes narrowing slight with suspicion. "Is that so…?" She tilted her head at them. "I...hope my brother's not bothering you," she said softly, almost timidly.

Daryl just kept his mouth shut and took a step back, scowling at the two of them. "Tell yer brother to keep his animosity to 'imself," Rick snapped. "I won't tolerate any threats against my family."

Delta glanced over at her brother sharply. "Al..." Her tone sounded like that of a scolding mother.

Al rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. _Busted_. "He...he _shot_ you, sis," the man said insistently. "You can't expect me to just smile and shake his hand!" That...was understandable. He couldn't say he wouldn't act the same way if someone had hurt a member of his family. Didn't mean he had to like the guy, though.

"That's _exactly_ what I expect you to do." Delta leaned forward, speaking softly enough that Daryl had to strain to hear. "You were trained to control yourself better than this. Please, Al, for me." Alpha pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

"How did your talk with Deanna go?" he asked, in a clear attempt to change the subject. Delta suddenly looked tired, eliciting a small chuckle from her brother. "I'm sure you did fine. This is the apocalypse, she won't fault you for being a little awkward."

Delta glared half-heartedly at him. "Deanna's called for you," she said, making her own attempt to change the subject. Delta nodded towards the older woman's house. "It's your turn to be _interrogated._ " Alpha grinned and ruffled her hair, giving Daryl one last dirty look before sauntering off. Asshole. Delta turned back to the two of them, her soft features twisted into a concerned frown. Daryl felt his anger slowly dissipate. There was just something about those freaky red eyes of hers that wouldn't let him stay angry...and that only made his walls go up higher. He'd be damned if he fell for some chick's puppy-eyed bullshit. "I'm so sorry," she said in that soft voice of hers. "My brother is a good man, he's just...protective."

Rick observed her for a moment, and Daryl could see him deflate as well. "...I get it," he sighed. "We'd be the same way if one of our own got hurt." Delta visibly brightened. Not too hard to please her, was it? "I'd like to talk to you. Is now a good time?" He framed it as a question, but his tone really left no room for argument. Delta's frosty-white brows furrowed slightly, like she was nervous. The girl didn't seem to be as comfortable socially as her brother was...Daryl could relate. On the other hand, maybe her whole "shy little angel" thing was just an act...if so, she was one hell of an actress.

"Of course." She straightened her back to appear more confident. "I'd be happy to talk to you."

Rick nodded. "Good. Comin', Daryl?" The man in question pursed his lips, but gave a small nod. He didn't really _want_ to be there, but he had to admit that he was curious about the albino siblings' intentions. It was also a good opportunity to have some of his questions answered. He knew next to nothing about those two, and it was driving him nuts. What kind of lives did they lead to be able to track their group so effectively? From the damn _trees,_ no less. Deanna had already accepted them into the community from what he could tell, but Daryl didn't know them; he didn't know anyone in their new "home." It had him constantly on edge, surrounded by so many strangers. Strangers were unpredictable. Strangers were dangerous.

"...Daryl?"

 _Her_ voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Delta was staring up at him, head tilted, her eyes filled with concern. His muscles tensed and his stomach flipped. Those eyes still unnerved him. "Aren't you coming?" she asked him, making him realize that Rick had already started walking. He glanced at her briefly before walking away, not even bothering to answer. If he had looked back, he would have seen her crestfallen expression.

* * *

"Alright. This place is as good as any." Rick held out his arm to stop Daryl and Delta when they reached a secluded corner of Alexandria. The former sheriff turned on his heel and pinned Delta with his glare. "We're gonna ask you some questions, and you're gonna answer truthfully. Got it?"

Delta gulped. Being alone with the two men clearly made her nervous. "Yes," she said. "I understand."

"Good. First of all, what were you doin' in the woods with Daryl?"

Daryl watched Delta closely. She fidgeted, like she was nervous. Was this shy girl really the one who shot a walker perfectly between the eyes from the branches of a tree? It was hard to believe, but then again, perhaps she wasn't as fragile as she appeared to be. Appearances didn't mean shit anymore. "I was making sure he was alright," she mumbled. She looked at Daryl straight-on and his body tensed almost reflexively. Why did he feel so uneasy when all she did was look at him? "You went off on your own," she told him. Daryl just stared at her, his expression unreadable. Yeah, he went off on his own. So what? He had shit to deal with. It pissed him off that a stranger saw him at his weakest. "You were dehydrated. Weakened. I wasn't trying to spy on you, I just-"

Rick waved his hand dismissively, uninterested in her justifications, making Delta snap her mouth shut. "Why were you and your brother followin' us to begin with?" he asked.

Delta breathed in deeply, her red eyes slowly closing. When they reopened, all signs of anxiety were gone, replaced by a sort of...emptiness. Like she had taken her emotions and just shoved them to the side. Daryl's eyes narrowed slightly. He'd never seen anybody do that before. Well...he supposed that was one way to keep your weaknesses hidden. Can't argue with that. "That's what we do," she said. Her voice was louder, stronger, but rang a bit hollow. Her eyes locked with his. There was a spark in them, and something within those red orbs resonated with him. "We _help_ people. We find survivors, we make sure they aren't scum, and then we help them."

Rick's eyes narrowed. "Why would you put your necks on the line for strangers? Seems pretty reckless to me."

"It would be," Delta agreed, "If we didn't know what we were doing. My brother and I received special training from the military. We know how to track a target without getting caught. Besides…" Her jaw tightened. "We... _I_ caused enough harm before all this began. This seemed like our chance to do some good. To save people. They need it now more than ever." She stared at Daryl again, almost defiantly. " _You_ needed it."

He bristled. "The hell I did! I woulda managed just fine without you stickin' yer nose where it don't belong!" Rick held up a hand, and Daryl's mouth angrily snapped shut. The bearded man looked thoughtful, almost...impressed.

"...How many walkers you kill?" Daryl's eyes flew to Rick. Really? He was asking _her_ the questions? Daryl looked over at her again. He wasn't one to question Rick's judgement, but why _her?_ ...Maybe it was the fire in her eyes. Anybody could say that they were helping someone when they were really planning the opposite, but with a gaze as unwavering as hers...it was almost easy to believe. His anger faded as quickly as it appeared. There was something about her - her eyes perhaps, or her gentle demeanor - that made him want to believe her. She could have killed him just as easily as she had killed that walker, but she didn't. Any bandit with half a brain would have taken that shot. He'd been distracted, disoriented...he hadn't even known she was there until that walker hit the ground. That fact alone helped her case tremendously.

"I...don't know." She answered Rick's question, her head tilted curiously. "A lot?"

"How many people?"

That question made her recoil, as if she'd been slapped. Her eyes went wide, then drifted down to the ground, as if in shame. It was a look he knew all too well. Guilt. "...A lot," she mumbled. At least she admitted to it. She seemed to understand that honesty was the best policy when talking to them.

Rick didn't seem surprised by her answer. Then again, _they_ had killed more than their fair share of people, too. "Why?"

Delta gritted her teeth. "Because I had to," she said hoarsely. She brought a pale-skinned hand to her face. "I...I _had to._ " Her expression became strained, like she was struggling with something in her own mind. Hell, she probably was. Nobody was free from their demons these days. She knew there was blood on her hands, and it clearly weighed on her conscience. ...That was a _good_ thing. It meant that, at least to some degree, she had retained some of her humanity despite the world ending.

Rick put his hand on her shoulder in an almost comforting gesture, startling her out of her thoughts. "Yeah. I'm sure you did." She looked up at him in surprise, like getting reassured by him was the last thing she expected. "I'm gonna choose to believe you," he told her. His next words held a hint of warning. "You seem sincere. Prove me wrong…" His eyes hardened. "I'll kill you. You know that, right?"

Delta's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Yeah, I know." Her head dipped a bit. "Thank you."

"If you were really watchin' out for us, then I guess I should thank _you._ " He patted her on the shoulder, realizing too late that it was her bad one. She flinched, but it was slight enough that Daryl thought he might have imagined it. She was good at hiding pain.

He felt a twinge of guilt. She shouldn't have been spying on him back in the woods, but no matter the circumstances, she _had_ helped him...and he shot her. That was kind of a dick move on his part. She didn't ask for an apology, and he didn't _want_ to give one, but...hell. Why _didn't_ she demand an apology? He would. He'd have been pissed if someone shot him right after he helped them. The girl was fucking _weird_ , inside and out. Pretty, he admitted to himself reluctantly, but weird. And what the hell was she _wearing?_ An open jacket with nothing but a chest binder underneath was a bit understandable, considering the heat, but why the neck scarf? Those gloves of hers probably didn't help keep her cool, either.

Like he thought before: the chick was _weird._

* * *

Delta thought the talk with Rick had gone well. His eyes no longer held an immeasurable coldness when he looked at her. A pleasant feeling bloomed in her chest at the thought of Rick warming up to her because of what _she_ said, what _she_ did, instead of her brother. Daryl, though...her heart fell a bit at the thought of him. He didn't seem to like her much. Probably because she had seen him when he decided to let his weakness show for once. Maybe his animosity was the result of wounded pride? Men...

She liked Daryl, though. She didn't know his life story or anything, hell, she didn't even know his last name. But she had seen enough of him while tailing his group to know that he was a lot more thoughtful and selfless than he seemed. He wasn't too bad on the eyes, either. She appreciated the whole "dirty biker" thing he had going on. And those _arms_...God. Did he have any idea how _sexy_ his arms were? And his _eyes-_

 _Okaaaay, let's stop that train of thought before it gets out of hand._

Delta felt a blush creep up from her neck. _Yeah, let's drool over the man who probably wants to punch you in the face,_ she scolded herself. _Real smart, Del._

"Well..." Rick's voice dragged her back to reality. "I'll see ya around, Delta. We'll talk more later, let you properly meet the rest of us." She realized his hand was held out, waiting, and she hastily shook it. They nodded at each other, and Rick turned on his heel and started walking away. Daryl began to follow suit, but Delta called out to him before she could stop herself. He slowly turned back around, his expression unreadable as usual.

"What?"

With his eyes on her, she suddenly felt incredibly small. "I...I just wanted to say…" She swallowed nervously. Taking a deep breath, she paused for a moment to build her confidence, then met his gaze directly. "I wanted you to know that I'm not sorry I was there to save you." He scoffed and started to turn around again. "Hey! I'm not finished." Daryl regarded her with a calm, perhaps slightly irritated, look. "I'm not sorry I was there to save you," she repeated, "But...I _am_ sorry that I saw you when you didn't want to be seen." She leaned against the wall of a nearby house, sighing. "You needed to be alone, and I shouldn't have taken that away from you. I'm _sorry_ , Daryl."

He didn't respond for a few moments. He just stared at her, like he was sizing her up, determining whether or not she was sincere. Then he leaned against the wall next to her, looking slightly defeated. "...S'alright," he mumbled. "You were tryna help, I guess. Thanks fer...y'know. Savin' my ass."

Delta was shocked. Expressing gratitude was the last thing she expected him to do. That warm feeling spread through her chest again. "No...I...y-you don't need to...to thank me for that," she stammered, suddenly incapable of speaking coherent English. He just shrugged, and the two of them fell into a somewhat awkward silence. Putting two socially-awkward individuals together made for an even more awkward encounter. After a moment or two, Delta timidly broke the silence with the first question that popped into her head. "...How's the hand?" She didn't forget the cigarette he had put out on his own skin. She couldn't. The angry red burn, the empty expression he wore as he did it...it was hard to get out of her mind. It worried her.

His expression hardened, and she quickly regretted asking him. "Fine," he said curtly. She didn't miss the way the hand in question curled into a fist.

Delta wanted to kick herself for being so insensitive. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly. "I shouldn't have...I just...it looked like it hurt, and…"

Daryl cut her off with a weary sigh. "S'alright," he told her again. Another pause. "...How's the shoulder?"

Delta blinked. "Oh," she said dumbly, as though she were just remembering the gaping hole in her shoulder. She absentmindedly put touched the bandages covering the wound. "It's fine," she told him honestly. "Pete did a great job cleaning it up for me. It should heal nicely."

Daryl nodded slowly. Was it her imagination, or did he look relieved? "That's...good," he said. He fidgeted awkwardly. "Sorry fer shootin' ya," he grumbled. A smile tugged at her lips. Getting an apology out of that man was like pulling teeth, apparently. It was kind of cute.

"I startled you, and you lashed out," she said gently. "That's all there is to it. I don't blame you, and I'm not mad at you." Before she could stop herself, Delta reached out to touch his arm lightly. He tensed under her fingertips, and she quickly pulled back, her face burning with embarrassment. Delta cleared her throat, trying to dispel the thick atmosphere of _awkward_ that hung over the, "A-Anyway, I should probably go see if Deanna's done with my brother." She offered him a tentative smile. "I'll see you around, Daryl."

He met her gaze only briefly. "Yeah...see ya."

On that note, Delta pushed herself from the wall and walked in the direction of Deanna's house, feeling Daryl's cool blue eyes on her the whole way.

She couldn't help but sway her hips a little more than usual.

* * *

A/N: Phew! This one took me a while to put together. Life has left me with very little spare time lately. Not very action-packed this time around, just a little introduction to Delta and Daryl's relationship. As always, please review! I seriously appreciate the support you guys have shown. Until next time, my dears!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm gonna take a moment to thank everyone who's reviewed this story so far. You're all wonderful and I really appreciate you!**

 **Thank you all so much! You're the only reason I've found the motivation to sit down and write with everything that's been going on. It's not an eventful chapter, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.**

 **Disclaimer: AMC owns everything except Al and Del…you guys know the drill. ;)**

* * *

Delta was feeling nervous.

Then again, ever since she stepped foot in Alexandria, there hadn't been many moments when she _wasn't_ feeling nervous. It had been almost two days since she and Alpha had decided to make Alexandria their home. The Alexandrites (with the exception of Deanna and her family) were still wary of them, which was to be expected. Neither of them had been scouted by Aaron or Eric, and their appearances weren't nearly as… _normal_ as they were used to. If there was even such a thing as _normal_ these days.

But Delta didn't care about that, not really. She and her brother were bombarded with strange looks and wary glances their whole lives, that was nothing new. The people she did care about were strangers to this town, just like she was…Rick and his family. And they wanted to meet her. All of them. Together. In one place.

So, yeah. Delta was nervous.

This time, however, she had Alpha by her side. She was clinging to her brother's hand like it was her lifeline as they stood before the house Rick's group lived in.

"Del, you're going to shatter the bones in my hand if you squeeze any harder."

She glanced up. Her brother was looking down at her with that stupid amused grin of his. "Sorry, Al." Her fingers loosened their grip, and Alpha sighed with relief.

"There's nothing to be worried about, love. Rick already said that he believed what you told him. If he trusts you, the others will too."

Delta snorted. "He said he _believes_ me, but that doesn't mean he _trusts_ me. Or you." She ran her hand through her snow-colored hair, huffing with frustration. " _Especially_ not you. Why do you keep antagonizing them so? You know that's just going to make them hate you."

"I'm not trying to annoy _them_ , just _Daryl_." Alpha shrugged when Delta cast him a glare. "What do you expect me to do? He shot you. _You_. My sister. My baby girl." Her brother gently cupped her face with his hand. Her heart warmed at the love and concern in his eyes. "God, Del, you're my whole _world_. He could have _killed_ you." His frosty brows furrowed deeply. "And the bastard didn't even _apologize_."

"Um…" Delta cleared her throat awkwardly. "Actually…he did."

Alpha's brows shot up in surprise. "…What? You got him to talk to you?"

She blushed. "Not really…we just sort of cleared the air. At least I hope we did. He apologized to me, Al, and he meant it." Delta gave her brother a half-smile and patted his hand. "So get off his back about it, alright?"

Alpha closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, suddenly looking tired. "…Ugh. Fine. I'll try to play nice with the redneck…for now."

Delta rolled her eyes. "I suppose that's good enough." She gave his hand a slight squeeze. "Come on. They're going to start wondering what we're doing out here, just standing in front of their house." Alpha smiled at her.

"You're not nervous anymore?"

Delta sighed, his words bringing the nervous flutter back to her heart. "Right…thanks for reminding me," she mumbled bitterly. Alpha laughed and tugged on her hand.

"You know I love you. Come on, then."

He led her up the porch stairs and to the front door, knocking loudly three times. Delta's heart pounded with anticipation. A few moments later (though it felt like longer to the anxious Delta), the door opened to reveal a young brunette with her hair tied back. Maggie, Delta remembered her name was. The woman smiled slightly. She had very kind eyes and her smile was warm. The fluttering in Delta's chest stilled slightly. Her presence was...comforting, although Delta knew the woman could turn ferocious in an instant if she felt threatened. "Y'all must be Alpha and Delta." Her southern accent was thick. She held out her hand. "I'm Maggie."

Delta shook her hand politely, while Alpha decided to be…well, himself. He took her outstretched hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles, flashing her that charming smile of his and bowing slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear," he said smoothly. Delta ran a hand over her face wearily. Maggie cocked a brow, but the tugging at one end of her mouth betrayed her amusement.

"Easy there, tiger. I'm a married woman."

"He knows that," Delta sighed. "He's just being…him. Don't be weirded out by anything he says, I promise he's harmless."

Alpha winked at Maggie. "Most of the time."

Delta expected her to get annoyed at Alpha's forwardness, but Maggie just laughed. "Long as you're not serious, I don't mind, but I can't say the same for my husband."

"Which means 'cut it out'," Delta hissed at her brother. He just smirked.

"Aww, but where would be the fun in that?"

Delta rubbed the bridge of her nose. She loved her brother, but sometimes it felt like he made it his personal mission to push people's buttons. "I can't take you anywhere," she groaned.

Maggie's smile widened. "Y'all are welcome to come in. The others are waitin' for ya." She stepped to the side and swept her arm out in a welcoming gesture. Just like that, Delta's nerves were back full-force. She gripped Alpha's hand tighter and brought her free hand up to rest on her chest, just above her pounding heart. Maggie seemed to sense her uneasiness and put her hand on the albino girl's shoulder. "There's no need to be so uneasy, darlin'. Long as your intentions are good, you're welcome here. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone."

With those comforting words, Maggie led them into the living room. Delta was somewhat surprised to see that they had all gathered pillows, blankets and mattresses and put them all in the living room. Had they all slept in the same room together? Then again, that wasn't so unusual for this group. They were so wary of everyone but each other. It was kind of cute that they all slept in the same room on their first night in a new place.

On top of all those pillows and blankets and mattresses were the people in question. Delta had yet to learn all their names but she knew all of their faces. She recognized Rick and Daryl instantly. Rick nodded curtly at her, to which she replied with a hesitant smile. Daryl just stared at them from his perch on the large windowsill. She gave him the same hesitant smile, and he paused, but did nothing in return. Delta felt her heart drop a bit. She thought they had come to at least a little bit of an understanding yesterday, but perhaps it was too much to hope that she had started earning his trust, even just a little.

She ran her pale red eyes over the others in the room. Some eyed her and her brother with curiosity, others with blatant mistrust, and all of them with wariness. Delta started to tremble slightly under the pressure of their combined gazes. She knew she didn't have to be so nervous, but she just couldn't help it. If they were complete strangers it would have been a different story, but she had observed these people long enough that she knew she desperately wanted them to like her. What if, with her clumsy social skills, she screwed this up for her and Al? She didn't want that.

Al squeezed her hand. Her eyes darted to his face and met his. Her brother gave her a warm, gentle smile, and she felt some of her anxiety melt away. _That's right_ , she thought to herself. _Al always told me that it's pointless to overthink. I just need to push those unnecessary thoughts down...lock them away...and it'll be alright_. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and did just that. Those nasty thoughts and emotions were violently shoved away and out of sight. She felt her body relax. It was better to feel nothing than to feel negative things. She opened her eyes again, and her face was a stony mask.

"Everyone..." Maggie's voice startled Delta out of her thoughts. "This is Alpha and his sister Delta." She looked to the albino siblings, then pointed at every other person in the room and rattled off their names.

Delta listened with rapt attention, burning their names into her memory. _Michonne, Glenn, Abraham, Sasha, Rosita, Tara, Carol, Carl, Eugene, Gabriel, and baby Judith...and of course, Rick and Daryl. Got it._ She wanted to make sure she remembered so she didn't make a fool of herself in the future.

"That's a lot of names...don't be offended if I have to ask you who you are again, okay?" Unlike her, Alpha wore a carefree smile, his free arm resting casually behind his head. Delta was envious of her brother's ability to remain so relaxed in any social situation. But it was useless to wish to become like him. They had been made for different things, after all.

The group remained silent at Alpha's casual remark. After a few moments of awkward silence, they all looked to Rick. Their leader. He stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and handed Judith to his son, Carl. "Alright everyone, listen up." They watched him with their full attention. "I know you're confused as to why I wanted you to meet these two. Daryl already knows this since we spoke to 'em yesterday, and maybe you remember a little from the conversation we swapped when we met 'em. Before we were led to this place, Alpha and Delta had been tailin' us for quite some time." Their faces turned from curious to shocked, and a few of them turned to fix the siblings with angry glares. They started to protest, but Rick held up his hand and the group fell silent. "I know what that sounds like, trust me. But they had countless opportunities to kill us or take what we got, yet for some reason they chose to help us from the shadows." He glanced at them. "I dunno for sure what their intentions really are or if we can trust them, but I intend to keep them close and figure it out. If it turns out that they're alright, then it'll be good for us to have more allies in this place while we're getting out footing. If not..." There was an unspoken threat at the end of that sentence that was all too clear. If not, we'll kill you. Delta felt a shiver go down her spine as the others nodded or sent dark, threatening looks their way. "Alright then." Rick clapped his hands together, making her jump slightly. "Meeting's over. Y'all can stay and ask these two some questions or do whatever. Just don't wander too far by yourself in this place yet." The group mumbled amongst themselves and dispersed. A few of them other than Rick and Daryl actually remained behind - Glenn, Abraham, Tara, Michonne and Carl - but the rest left. Sasha and Rosita looked at them through narrowed eyes as they walked by, their distrust very clear. Carol's face betrayed no emotion, good or bad, and she walked past them cooly. Eugene and Gabriel looked very nervous, and they hurried past them like they thought the siblings would bite if they got too close.

Maggie gestured to the piles of blankets and mattresses on the floor after the room had cleared. "Y'all can have a seat if you like, make yourselves comfortable." Alpha grinned and immediately made himself at home, with Delta reluctantly following suit.

"So, you guys are curious about us, huh?" Alpha let go of Delta's hand and stretched out his limbs. "Well, don't be shy. Ask away."

Glenn folded his arms across his chest. "Alright then, lemme get this straight. You two were stalking us?" His choice of words made Delta's face heat up from embarrassment.

Alpha just laughed it off. "Well...I guess that's one way of putting it. But it's not like we stared at you while you were sleeping or watched you use the bathroom or anything. We just watched over you while you were on the move."

"And why the hell would you wanna do that?"

Alpha considered his words for a moment. "Why...?" He shrugged almost carelessly. "Because you seemed like okay people, I guess. If you were assholes who sought to bring others pain we would have just moved on. The two of us kinda take up a 'guardian angel' role when we stumble upon a group of decent people. That type is rare these days and only getting rarer."

"So, what?" Glenn frowned. "You find people you like and just follow them around? What for?"

"To keep them out of trouble, of course," Alpha replied, as if it were obvious. "We try to minimize or eliminate threats or give them an invisible helping hand if they need it."

Glenn still looked confused. "Why do it from the shadows, though? Wouldn't it be easier to just make yourselves known?"  
Alpha quirked a brow at the young Asian man. "Let me ask you something. If we had approached you on the road and said 'Hi, nice to meet you, we're here to help! No strings attached!', would you have accepted us? Let us into your group?"

Glenn blinked. "Ah...well, no. Definitely not."

Al nodded. "Of course you wouldn't. Nobody would, not even my sister and I. Who just helps people in these times without asking for anything in return? It would have sounded hella suspicious."

"It still sounds suspicious," Abraham mumbled. If he heard, Alpha showed no sign of it.

"Look," he said almost exasperatedly, "If we wished you harm, you already know that we have had many opportunities to harm you." His pale red eyes drifted lazily over to Daryl, who was leaning stoically against the window sill. "My sister could have just as easily killed Daryl as she killed the dead one that nearly caught him. But she saved his life, not asking even for his gratitude in return." He smirked. "Or an apology for shooting her after she saved his hide." Daryl sent him a withering glare.

Alpha's mention of Delta made all eyes turn to her. She had been sitting at her brother's side in near comfort until that moment, her cool mask in place, perfectly content to let Alpha do all the talking. But their judging gazes surprised her, made her mask fall and her body go rigid. She silently cursed Alpha for steering the conversation in her direction.

"You don't talk much, do you girl?" Abraham observed. He narrowed his eyes at her. There was a hint of suspicion there.

Delta folded her hands in her lap and held them together tightly. Her pinkish-red eyes darted involuntarily to the ground. "I-I prefer to let Al handle social interactions," she stammered. "I'm afraid I'm...not very good at them." Her heart started beating harder of its own accord. She hated her own weakness.

Alpha chuckled and patted her on the back comfortingly. "Ask her to shoot a dead one between the eyes at a hundred paces and she'll do it with full confidence; ask her to make small talk with strangers and she goes into a panic." Delta flashed him a dirty look. "Come on, don't look at me like that," he laughed. "It's true! Don't worry Del, nobody's perfect. I think it's adorable that you get so nervous."

"There's no need to be nervous, Delta," Maggie told her again, soothingly. "We don't bite."

"Unless you intend to bite us."

That was the first time she had heard Daryl's voice since the day before. Startled, she glanced over at him, and once again their eyes met. Once again she was faced with an intensity she had never seen in another person. Once again she felt a thrill go down her spine when his eyes held hers. What was this? Delta's lips parted as though she wanted to speak, but no words would come out. When their eyes met like that, it was like her mind went blank. She tried to look away, but his eyes held onto hers and refused to let go. It was almost...frightening, the way she was drawn in by his gaze. She could almost feel the panic start to rise up through her chest. She felt trapped.

It was Alpha's voice that brought her back from the abyss. She jumped ever so slightly when he quipped, "We intend to do nothing of the sort." Her pale cheeks were lit aflame as a blush spread across them against her will. She was...embarrassed by the way this man she barely knew affected her. Delta swallowed in an effort to wet her dry throat and dared to peek over at Daryl again. To her surprise (and slight pleasure), he looked just as shaken as she was. Their eyes met again, but this time they quickly looked away from each other, Daryl's face twisting into a confused scowl.

"So...tell me." It was Abraham again. His eyes were wandering over the two of them. Judging. Calculating. "Have either of you served? The way you carry yourselves...you seem military." Well, he would know, wouldn't he?

Delta couldn't stop the tiny frown that her lips formed. She hated that question. From the way Alpha's lazy smile faltered for a split second, she knew he hated it too. "Yes, we both served," he said, struggling to keep the tightness from his voice. "We were in a special ops unit. I'm sure you'll understand when I say we'd really rather not go there." Abraham frowned, like he wanted to protest, but ended up slowly nodding. He knew where they were coming from. "It's nothing against any of you, of course," he said quickly. "But the two of us had to do a lot of things that we aren't proud of." His lips pursed slightly. "Revisiting the past is both painful and pointless."

"We understand," Michonne said softly, speaking to them for the first time.

An awkward silence fell over the room, the only sound being the soft coos from baby Judith as Carl bounced her on his knee. Delta's muscles clenched nervously again. Everyone seemed to have fallen deep into thought. If she had to guess, she would say they were all remembering moments in their pasts that filled them with regret. This was part of the reason why she hated it when people asked about she and her brother's lives in the military. It was such a mood killer.  
But she also hated it because she knew they would never be able to tell them the truth about who they were. What they were. They would never understand. How could they? Even Abraham, who had served in the military himself, couldn't comprehend what their lives had been like. The two of them didn't just have brief "lives in the military". The military was their _entire_ life. Delta clenched her jaw and fought violently against the feelings of anger and regret that surged up through her chest.

Rick's voice yanked her out of her depressing thoughts. "I think that's enough Q&A for today." He walked over to them. "Sorry to keep you two. You're free to go." _He says that like he's been holding us captive_ , Delta thought almost amusedly. Though maybe in his mind, he kind of was.

Alpha got to his feet and stretched until his back made an audible popping noise. "Well!" His voice was peppy and cheerful again, a stark contrast from the mood in the room. "It was a real treat to meet you all. We should hang out again soon!" He smiled at his sister and held out his hand to her. "Ready to go, Del? We've got a whole community to explore." She nodded meekly and took his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

Delta glanced shyly at the faces around her, trying to ignore the way her eyes gravitated towards Daryl. "It was nice meeting you all," she said softly. Her gentle words were rewarded with softened faces and small smiles. Alpha started walking to the front door, and with one last nervous bow of her head, Delta scurried after him.

"Wait." A hand on her arm made her freeze before she stepped onto the porch. She turned around and saw Rick looking at her with a serious expression. His grip on her arm was kind of tight, making her pulse quicken. Had she done something wrong? "Can ya do somethin' for me, Delta?"

...Oh. He had a request for her. She almost breathed a sigh of relief, but she held it in. "Um...if I'm able," she replied uncertainly.

"I don't know anythin' about this place yet. I don't trust it." Rick frowned, looking troubled. "I don't know _you_ either, but you obviously know how to be secretive. If ya happen to overhear or see anythin' suspicious..." He trailed off.

Delta nodded, understanding where he was trying to say. "I'll share it with you. Don't worry, I'll be on the lookout. I'm a stranger to this place as well, after all." Rick nodded his head and released his grip on her arm, looking slightly relieved.

"Thanks."

Delta gave him a quick, small smile, then ducked her head and hurried after her brother. As soon as her foot hit the grass, she felt the tension leave her body, and she took a deep breath, suddenly feeling worn out. Social interaction was very taxing. One step after another, she tried to catch up to Alpha's long strides.

It was then that she felt it. It was like static on her skin, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Her steps faltered and she stopped in order to avoid stumbling. There were eyes on her back. She fought back the urge to look over her shoulder, because she knew what she would find there. Sharp blue irises that would pierce through her like a knife, with years of pain behind them and barely-restrained ferocity lying just beneath. Delta couldn't stop the shudder that flowed through her. Those eyes screamed _danger_.

So why was it that they _excited_ her so?


End file.
